Fueled by family (and matcha), Jeeno Thitikul eyes first major at Chevron Championship

World No.1. Olympian. matcha lover. Eight-time LPGA Tour winner.

Jeeno Thitikul is a girl of many titles, however it’s the final one that actually hits house.

“It’s amazing. It’s crazy. It was so crazy,” Thitikul stated of successful the Honda LPGA Thailand in February.

“I didn’t expect that I got to win that tournament… you know, like, first or second tournament of the year, you don’t know how your game’s look like. You don’t know what you’re going to expect on the course after, like, a long break,” she added.

In 2017the Thai native first competed within the Honda LPGA Thailand occasion as an novice, simply days after her 14th birthday. Nine years later and simply two days after turning 23, she lifted the 2026 trophy in front of friends and familyto safe her first win on house soil and eighth victory on the tour.

“It’s like the biggest moment that I remember, not lifting the trophy, but I saw my grandfather,” Thitikul stated. “He called my name on the course, and then I walked to him, and then I hugged him, and tears in my eyes. I think that is the best moment ever.”

Family is extremely essential to Thitikul, who stated she lives to have the ability to do issues for the folks she loves, like her mom, who she hugged in an emotional second after she defeated Chizzy Iwai by one stroke at Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course.

Her grandfather, particularly, holds a particular place in her golf journey.

“The funny story is, no one in my family played golf at all. Like, literally, zero,” Thitikul defined.

“I’m the only one who played golf, because my dad’s a huge like sport guy… And then my grandfather, it’s the one who introducing me to golf.”

She stated after she was born her dad and grandfather have been chatting about potential sports activities for her to play. Her father was Adamant that it needed to be a person sport, in order that she would not have to attend for teammates or workers to follow and he additionally needed one thing she’d have the ability to play for a very long time. At first, they have been contemplating having Jeeno take up tennis however ultimately landed on golf.

“My grandfather read a newspaper about Tiger Woods at that time, and then he’s just like, wow… He makes a lot of money. It can be like his career in the future. She’s got talent… I think they came up with that idea,” Thitikul stated.

It’s secure to say, the family’s guess on golf has paid off. After the win in Thailand, Thitikul stated she knew it wasn’t as huge as successful a major, however to her it was extra private. When you look at the journey from the younger lady who was launched to the sport to the girl who’s now on prime of it, it is easy to grasp why.

Despite the wins and the victory celebrations, she admitted she nonetheless cannot consider she’s the top-ranked participant in ladies’s golf.

“I never dream of being No. 1 in the world. I think just maybe reaching, like, you know, an LPGA status card, it’s my dream, and then just maybe a win on the tour, it’s my biggest dream,” Thitikul stated.

While these desires have been rapidly achieved, there may be one that’s excellent — successful her first major title.

“I think I focus on every tournament. But I mean, obviously the best is the one that every people want it. I do want it as well,” she stated. “Hopefully one day.”

She’s come shut. Thitikul has 9 top-10 finishes in majors, together with a heart-breaking playoff loss final yr at the Amundi Evian Championship. Her finest end at the Chevron is a tie for fourth in 2023 — however it is a new venue, shifting 40 miles south from The Club at Carlton Woods to Memorial Park in Houston.

The world No. 1 didn’t take part in final week’s JM Eagle LA Championship, however stated she’s been working along with her coach, who flew in from Thailand, to fine-tune her recreation and swing in preparation for the first of 5 majors this season.

And if she have been to don the white bathrobe at the top of this week and seize major No. 1? Thitikul hopes it will embrace a victory leap — into some sort of water — in Houston.

“Surreal, for sure, shocked,” she stated of what the second would really feel like. “I want to jump in the pond, if they have it.”

Well, one thing like a pond.

Off the course, Thitikul enjoys constructing Lego units in his downtime and is a self-proclaimed foodie who likes to take pleasure in sushi and Korean barbecue, in addition to Vietnamese and Thai cuisines. But her real love is matcha and he or she’s all the time on the hunt for the favored inexperienced tea powder that is used to make lattes and numerous Instagram-worthy drinks. “I want to find a really good matcha in every tournament,” she stated.

In truth, she’s develop into so well-known for her matcha content on social mediathat followers ship her the valuable powder to maintain her fueled at house and on the highway. “Right now, I have more than 30 or 40 boxes,” she stated of the items. “They all gave it to me. I never had a chance to buy it.”

Add matcha to the checklist of perks for the world No. 1.